Westboro, MA '77
Last week I attended my 45th High School reunion....wow, where did the time go? I grew up in a small and beautiful town in central Massachusetts called Westboro, or more formerly, Westborough...and sometimes referred to locally back in the day as "West-boring".
I hadn't been back since my mom passed about 3 years ago, but Lady Sax and I both felt like this was a good time to make the trip and I conveniently had a lull in my performance schedule. So my intrepid road manager and I set off on a circuitous route that included an 8AM Uber ride to DFW Airport where we boarded a Delta flight to Detroit then changed planes en route to Providence, RI. From there we took an Uber to Fall River, MA where we picked up a Turo car and drove the rest of the way to Westboro. The remnants of hurricane Ian made that part of the trip a rainy mess, but we finally arrived at our local AirBnb by around 11 PM.
The weather by Thursday morning (and pretty much for the rest of the week) was spectacular. I hiked around the town reservoir and took in deep breaths of crisp air that was filled with the smell of maple, apple, and pine. The trees were just starting to turn beautiful oranges, yellows, and reds and the temps were in the 60's with "chamber-of-commerce" blue skies making it all seem like I had awoken in an LL Bean Catalog. My sister Maryellen had coordinated her trip to visit some friends at the cape and met us for a few days in Westboro. Together we visited some old neighbors on Upton Rd, and took a stroll around the center of town, popping in to a few antique stores and a great coffee shop.
The place looks pretty much the same as it did when we moved there in 1970. The rotary is intact though there's a bit more traffic and there appears to be lots of new names on the shops and signs around town. Still, it has the same quaint feel as it did when we first arrived there from New Jersey and it was super fun to take it all in.
On Friday evening there was an informal gathering at the Central House Tavern downtown. This is a place with a long history in Westboro and it seems to have become an endearing gathering spot for townies to celebrate pretty much any occasion. I got to play a few tunes with 2 old buddies and caught up with lots of classmates who were making their way to town for the reunion. It was an absolute blast. It was great to have Maryellen with us, even though she did not graduate from Westboro High, most of my buddies remembered her. And perhaps the biggest hit of the evening was Lady Sax! It was very cool of those folks who follow what I do online to come up and say hello to her as if they were old friends. She deserves all of the attention for putting up with me and this crazy "artist" life.
On Saturday I had a chance to play some golf at the course where I grew up learning the game. It's still a challenging 9 hole track but I played well with borrowed clubs. I was joking with the old pro saying, "If you ever have a flat lie here, something has gone terribly wrong". The weather was spectacular and the company of classmates made the outing super fun with a ton of laughs and a good cigar to boot. I got to play again on Monday and that was really a great bonus. It's a gem of a course and you can tell the locals are very proud of the condition - as they should be.
After golf I got back to the AirBnb and cleaned up for our big evening. We met an old buddy, John Richards and his wife Terri for a drink before the reunion. It's always great to catch up with them - artists that they are; kindred spirits indeed. Then we all made our way to the Knights of Columbus Hall for our 45th. It was a fantastic evening of catching up and laughing. I was so busy flitting around talking to everyone that I didn't snap a single picture (those of you who know me know how rare that is!). My face hurt from smiling so much and everyone looked fantastic. It's an amazing feeling to catch up with childhood friends and acquaintances. It was definitely great for this soul.
On Sunday I took another brisk morning walk around town and one more little hike at the reservoir. It was so peaceful and beautiful that I simply sat and watched the glass-like water as I took more big, deep breaths of that crisp, cool air. #Zen moments indeed. I found this rock sculpture and took a few minutes to add a smaller one to it. The plane in the sky reminded me that I only had a few days left to dig this view.
On Sunday afternoon Gracie and I visited a very cool local brewery called Cold Harbor (or "Cold Haba" as the locals say). We enjoyed a tasting flight and sat in the cool sun as folks watched the Patriots play. It was definitely one of the best tasting flights we've ever had. Before leaving everyone suggested I try a "Juice Freak" so we purchased one and somehow got it back intact in our luggage. We haven't tried it yet as I promised to save a sip for Parker.
We also enjoyed a great dinner at the Civic Kitchen which is at the Country Club. It's a farm to table establishment and it was really yummy. And we simply could not leave MA without having an order of "chowdah" and fried clams! Harry's is a classic American diner-style restaurant offering seafood and a TON of traditional diner favorites. If you're ever up that way, we highly recommend popping in - they're open late!
It was a truly great vacation for both Lady Sax and I. Gracie got lots of rest and I did just about everything I wanted to do on the trip. I am back in the office teaching and recording with a sense of rejuvenation that hopefully will help get me through to the end-of-year Holiday break. While we were gone, Captain and Camille booked several shows and I was asked to play a "one-off gig" as well.
Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the reunion happen. I am already looking forward to the next time I get to visit Westboro. Back to the grind now :) Have a great week.